Project History

Hotel Gracanica is the project of three friends, Andreas Wormser, Atlan Gidzic and Hisen Gashnjani. It started in 2008, but it took almost two years to find a
suitable property, in a quiet countryside setting close to Pristina/Prishtina and, most importantly, with a beautiful view. Several attempts were needed to identify the right architect, but
finally we found him: Bujar Nrecaj, Swiss of Kosovar origin, designed a hotel as there is none in Kosovo, combining contemporary architecture with traditional elements to create a unique
atmosphere that will make guests feel at home.

If we had known that Kosovo, according to the World Bank, ranks 170 of all countries concerning starting a business, 177 when it comes to construction permits, 176
in the protection of investors, and so on (all of this improved considerably in 2013), maybe we wouldn't have started the project: 14 months with almost daily contacts with the authorities
were needed to get the building permit. But we are glad we persisted. Construction finally started on 15 March 2012, and despite some delays, we had our opening after only 13 months, on 13 April
2013.

The photos below show the progress since the beginning until the opening in April 2013 and beyond (click to enlarge).